1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for forming a resist underlayer film, and a pattern-forming method.
2. Discussion of the Background
In manufacturing semiconductor devices, multilayer resist processes have been employed for attaining a high degree of integration. In these processes, a composition for forming a resist underlayer film is first coated on a substrate to provide a resist underlayer film, and then a resist composition is coated on the resist underlayer film to provide a resist film. Thereafter, a resist film is exposed through a mask pattern by means of a stepping projection aligner (stepper) or the like, and developed with an appropriate developer solution to form a resist pattern. Subsequently, the resist underlayer film is dry-etched using the resist pattern as a mask, and the substrate is further dry-etched using the resultant resist underlayer film pattern as a mask, thereby enabling a desired pattern to be formed on the substrate.
In recent years, in order to further increase the degree of integration, miniaturization of patterns has been further in progress. Also in connection with the multilayer resist processes described above, structures of polymers, etc., contained in the composition for forming a resist underlayer film, and functional groups included in the polymers have been variously investigated. For resist underlayer films proposed so far, a composition for forming a resist underlayer film containing a hydrolytic condensate of a compound that includes a certain hydrolyzable silane compound, and the like are exemplified (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2002-40668).